Become Versed in Craps – Hints and Strategies: The History of Craps
Be smart, play clever, and master craps the proper way!
Dice and dice games date back to the Middle Eastern Crusades, but current craps is only about a century old. Current craps developed from the old Anglo game referred to as Hazard. No one knows for sure the birth of the game, however Hazard is believed to have been discovered by the Englishman, Sir William of Tyre, in the twelfth century. It is theorized that Sir William’s knights enjoyed Hazard amid a siege on the citadel Hazarth in 1125 AD. The name Hazard was gotten from the citadel’s name.
Early French colonists brought the game Hazard to Nova Scotia. In the 18th century, when exiled by the English, the French moved south and settled in the south of Louisiana where they at a later time became known as Cajuns. When they were driven out of Acadia, they brought their best-loved game, Hazard, along. The Cajuns broke down the game and made it mathematically fair. It is believed that the Cajuns adjusted the title to craps, which was gotten from the term for the bad luck throw of two in the game of Hazard, referred to as "crabs."
From Louisiana, the game moved to the Mississippi riverboats and throughout the nation. A few consider the dice maker John H. Winn as the creator of current craps. In the early 1900s, Winn assembled the current craps layout. He created the Do not Pass line so gamblers could bet on the dice to lose. Later, he developed the spots for Place bets and put in place the Big 6, Big 8, and Hardways.